Three Tips to Making a Good First Impression

By:

Jason Wong

Published Date:

May 25, 2016

Throughout your professional career, you’ll be meeting a lot of people for the first time, whether it’s for a job interview, a networking conference, or a big client meeting. And as you know, it’s important that that first meeting is one where you come off as well as you possibly can. Here are three tips from Time on how to nail a positive first impression:

Check your mirror. Even though we’re all taught not to judge books by their covers, everyone knows that people will make instant judgments based on appearance. So before you meet someone important, make sure that you look professional.

Stand up straight, but don’t be standoffish. Your body language is equally important to your clothing choice. Don’t cross your arms or put your hands in your pockets, and make sure that you hold your head high and make eye contact.

Be aware of what you say…and have said. According to image consultant Sylvie di Giusto, people will remember the first 11 words you say, so make sure they’re good ones. Moreover, when it comes to job interviews, you should also be aware of what you’ve said and done that’s online. Those photos of you doing a keg stand back in college might be hilarious, but they shouldn’t pop up when your interviewer Googles you.